Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin of Netflix’s Stranger Things) on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam Jan 2026. Coat: Lacoste. Suit & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
Netflix’s Stranger Things has become one of the biggest series of its generation, followed closely by fans worldwide. When the final episode arrived on December 31, audiences welcomed it with great excitement. Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam sat down with Gaten Matarazzo to look back on the memories, the friendships, and the moments that shaped the journey.
Coat: Lacoste. Suit & tie: Reiss.
Harper’s Bazaar (HBZVN): Stranger Things has been part of your life for years. When you think back, what’s one behind-the-scenes moment that still makes you laugh?
GATEN MATARAZZO: I don’t remember a day where I didn’t laugh, but I think probably day one of the show – in the very beginning – we just had a bad case of the giggles when we first went in to film the D&D scene. And I think that was kind of part of the charm, just ’cause we were so young and nervous. I think we were all kind of slap happy with how long the day ended up being, so that’s one that I remember.
HBZVN: Dustin has so many iconic scenes. Which one do fans mention the most, and which one means the most to you?
GATEN MATARAZZO: Oh man. I mean, people usually bring up ‘Never Ending Story’ more than anything else, which is, you know, the bane of my existence. But I think the one that I think about the most is most of the stuff with Eddie in Stranger Things Season Four – on the trailer with the Master of Puppets sequence. That was really special. But all of season four specifically has this really cool Scooby-Doo vibe with the Creel House, and it feels very Mystery Machine, which I like.
Trench coat: Marella. Suit, shirt & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
HBZVN: Let’s talk about Dustin’s hair. How much of it was planned, and how much just… happened?
GATEN MATARAZZO: I think it all just happened. When I first booked it – anytime you book anything, they usually tell you not to cut your hair going into production just so they can work with it. And when I showed up, they basically just didn’t touch it. They were like, ‘Great, that’s fine.’ And that kind of just locked in what it looked like for the rest of the time. And then in season five, I had to come back to production after doing a production in New York where I had to have quite short hair. So they ended up using extensions for the first time in the show, which was a breath of fresh air. It was lovely.
HBZVN: Dustin is often teased or underestimated, yet he stays kind and confident. Where do you think that emotional strength comes from? And did playing him change how you see vulnerability?
GATEN MATARAZZO: There’s something really cool about him where he has always used his humor as a defense mechanism and never really admits his vulnerabilities to the people around him, maybe to make it easier on himself. And he’s kind of forced out of that in season five. It’s interesting to me how the first time he’s presented with the personal struggle of not really having a choice in his vulnerability, it comes out in anger. I think that’s really interesting, and it’s cool to see him kind of learn that that’s toxic and learn how to grieve healthfully and, weirdly, happily by the end of it. I’ve seen people his age grieve, and I have grieved at his age too, and it’s pretty standard. It’s really hard to grasp how to do it right, you know what I mean?
Jacket: Sandro. Suit & tie: Reiss.
HBZVN The friendship between the kids feels very real on screen. What’s one habit or joke from set that fans never get to see?
GATEN MATARAZZO: There are so many inside jokes that I could just reference endlessly and no one would have any idea what the fuck I’m talking about. Joe has me in his phone as Rollins the security company, which is ridiculous and has so much backstory. The joke has lasted so long that I’m still in his phone as that.
HBZVN: Working with the Duffer Brothers for so long, what’s one thing about their directing style that still surprises you?
GATEN MATARAZZO: They’re such perfectionists and always have been. They know exactly what they want, and they love to get scenes into a groove, into a bit of momentum, which is tough to do. I think that comes with doing a lot of takes. Matt and Ross are notorious for doing quite a lot of takes, and at times that can get frustrating, but then you realize it gets you into a weird rhythm. I think they believe that’s where the show really thrives, in that hyper-paced, almost musical tone. Rhythmic is the best way I can describe it.
HBZVN: Do you remember your first day on set? The table reading?
GATEN MATARAZZO: Heck yeah I do. That was one of the most nerve-wracking days of my life, still not even kidding. I remember being more scared about – and this is kind of dumb – knowing if I could cold read out loud very consistently and not sound like I didn’t know how to read. I was more worried about stuttering too much and seeming like a dumb little kid when I was 13. I should have had no real fear about that at all, but it always came up because sometimes I would get nervous and choke up when I had to cold read for auditions. I was like, I hope I don’t have a crazy monologue I’m gonna have to read through. But that’s usually what I remember being the most scared of. It was something that I shook off as I got there because it was really a very loving room and really easy to get comfy in, and it ended up not really being an issue.
Suit, shirt & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
HBZVN: When did you realize Stranger Things was becoming a global phenomenon?
GATEN MATARAZZO: Really not until it did, and that was kind of a rude awakening. It came out when I was still living in South Jersey and still going to school there, which I did throughout the rest of my time in high school. It was buzzing around a ton, but I didn’t really notice how big it was until I got into the city for press for the first time. Once people started noticing me in New York, I realized it wasn’t just the thing of the local kid in the show. That’s usually what was happening in school and around town, and I thought that was just kind of local. It was quite clear that it was a little bigger than that once the first award push started.
HBZVN: You grew up on camera. What’s one “normal” daily ritual that helps keep you grounded when life gets busy?
GATEN MATARAZZO: Talking to my family a ton is usually what keeps me kind of sane. Just making sure I’m communicating consistently with the people in my life on a regular basis. Because traveling for work really makes that hard. If you make a routine out of talking to your people over the phone, then it’s something that remains constant, and that’s always really good. I have a bad tendency of not nurturing relationships because I end up traveling a ton and being kind of one-track-minded. I think it’s probably my ADHD. That’s more of an excuse than anything, but making a point to talk to my people makes a big difference.
Suit, shirt & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
HBZVN You always come across as relaxed and comfortable in your own skin. Do you have any low-key grooming or self-care habits you swear by?
GATEN MATARAZZO: I wish I had more. I think I fit the true archetype of straight college-age dude; really not having any morning routine locked in beyond the bare basics of washing my body and brushing my teeth. I do keep up with my hygiene to a respectable level, which I believe is the case. But I wish I had a fun little product or skincare routine that was all for me. I should be better about that. I do wash my face, which I think is a bold thing for someone of my age and being a straight college-age dude.
HBZVN: We absolutely love that you raise awareness for Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD). Tell us about your charity CCD SMILES and what advice do you have for anyone struggling with CCD?
GATEN MATARAZZO: I don’t think I’m in a position to really give advice to anybody with the condition because most of the people that I’ve met – I would say everybody that I’ve met – are so profoundly wise. They’re really injected with this kind of boost of maturity because they deal with a certain type of hardship growing up that’s very specific to them. Most people that I’ve met with the condition are some of the most outwardly friendly, self-confident, extroverted people in the world. I don’t know why that’s consistently something I notice, but I really do think it’s because growing up they learn that if they’re not going to be loving and caring to themselves about what they look like or what they deal with on a day-to-day basis. Self-love is the beginning of loving everybody else around you. Learning to prioritize self-love at a young age makes a big difference in your adulthood.
Suit, shirt & tie: Reiss.
HBZVN: On this shoot, we gave homage to Old Hollywood. What about Old Hollywood do you love?
GATEN MATARAZZO: It’s the only time that we see standards being set. Every time a decision was made, it was a new one. That’s what’s really exciting about it because it’s a fully new medium that even at the time people said was going to be a fad and wouldn’t work. Anytime talking was introduced in movies, people thought this is gonna drop off. You have filmmakers like Hitchcock – probably the most famous name of the time – making decisions and kind of learning on the fly, figuring it out as you go. Now there are standards set, there are techniques, there are things you learn in schools, there are people that you can reference. Back in a time where there really wasn’t any reference, you were just living on the fly with all this new tech. There’s a lot that doesn’t work, and that’s almost more fun to watch – people figuring out what moviemaking was going to look like. That’s why I’ve been watching a lot of old films now.
HBZVN: You were completely at ease and relaxed on our photo set. What did you love about this photo shoot?
GATEN MATARAZZO: It was really friendly, and I don’t really find myself very comfy going into photoshoots. I don’t tend to take myself very seriously during them, and maybe that’s a better thing. But when a team is friendly and engaging and funny and keeps things loose, it kind of makes me okay with putting myself into absurd situations, into looks and styles that are obviously not designed to be walked on the street in. It took me a while to get comfy doing that. There’s always a little bit of imposter syndrome. I’m like, this isn’t what I do for a living, and there are people who could do this a hell of a lot better than I could. But it was a warm room for sure, and it flew by. It felt like a really fast day, and they were really receptive to feedback and suggestions. They were really big on asking me questions about what I liked and what I didn’t. That was really nice.
Coat: Lacoste. Suit & tie: Reiss.
HBZVN: Les Misérables on Broadway! Tell us!
GATEN MATARAZZO: It was on Broadway, and I did it. It was the first dream role pursuit that I had ever committed all of my time to pursuing, and the fact that it paid off in my childhood blows my mind still. It felt like a white whale of a part. I had auditioned for years for it from when I was seven to when I was like 11 or 12, and it just felt like the one I wanted to do so bad and didn’t think I was ever going to. And then at the last minute before they stopped casting for the tour, it kind of set up a chain reaction of doing other productions afterwards. It meant a lot to me and still does because it was kind of a culmination of sticking to my guns on something despite many people telling me it wasn’t gonna work out.
HBZVN: What’s your favorite Stranger Things episode?
GATEN MATARAZZO: I think the pilot. I guess it’s not really a pilot ’cause we already had a season release, but Stranger Things Season One, Episode One, I think is fucking unreal. Not to toot my own horn or anything because I fully attribute that to Matt and Ross, but I think that pilot is kind of perfect. I’m obsessed with it, and I watch it unironically by myself quite frequently. And then I’m also gonna give it to Season Two, Episode Eight, where they escape the lab and we lose Bob. They come up with a really crazy plan and figure it out. It’s like the second big group plan. I think it’s really effective and really fun when the kids step up and say fuck it and then drive the car to the tunnels.
Trench coat: Burberry. Sweater: Rick Owens. Pants, shirt & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
HBZVN: What was one of your favorite days on set?
GATEN MATARAZZO: Anytime we filmed at the school. That was really fun because in our time off we would kind of let loose through the halls. Lots of hide and seek, lots of exploring this old dusty, abandoned school that we probably shouldn’t have been exploring without supervision. We would sneak away every now and again, much to the dismay and fear of the AD and our tutors. I remember we got to play soccer a few times on the field in the back. The stuff in the school was always a blast.
HBZVN: What advice do you have for young actors and actresses struggling with a disability?
GATEN MATARAZZO: There are gonna be people who could answer it better than I could, but in my case I wouldn’t consider what I have a disability more than I would consider it a presenting condition only. The only reason I make that distinction is because it doesn’t affect my day-to-day life to the extent where I’m not able-bodied. For me, it was more about building a sense of self-confidence over a presenting physical difference. But as of now, I’m quite young, so that may change over time. I’ve been able to consider myself able-bodied to the point where I don’t use that word for me. But I do think that in this industry specifically, one thing I would be able to relate to is being told that what you have is always going to be considered a setback. When in film and TV, there are always going to be roles where people going through these challenges are called upon. There’s gonna be so many notes, so many rejections, but the one difference is that in casting, when you do book something, it’s very rarely in spite of your presenting difference and more likely because of it. Looking out for that language and that conversation. The first roles I ever got were presented to me as though my presenting difference was an advantage to that role and to that character. That was very encouraging. There are going to be opportunities where this comes up and this is actually an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
Trench coat: Burberry. Sweater: Rick Owens. Pants, shirt & tie: Reiss. Shoes: Cole Haan.
HBZVN: If you could give one piece of advice to a kid who feels a bit like Dustin – awkward, different, or overlooked – what would you tell them?
GATEN MATARAZZO: So much of what you believe is a disadvantage will turn out to be such an advantage to you in your adulthood as you learn to take what feels like a step back now and flip it into a strength. There are so many outlets and opportunities to do so, whether that be through hobbies, whether it be through studies, through people that you hang out with. You always have the opportunity to take what’s given to you as a driving force behind self-progress. I understand that I’ve been very lucky in my situation and that others aren’t. But I do attribute a lot of that to me being excited to tell people about my differences and learning to feel really special through them. That’s rare, and something that I don’t take for granted.
Trench coat: Marella. Suit, shirt & tie: Reiss.
Talent: Gaten Matarazzo @gatenmatarazzo
Photographer/Producer: Tom Marvel @tommarvelphotography
Creative Director: Cannon @thecannonmediagroup @ateliermgmt
Production: @winnie_noan
Set Producer: @kathleentig
Lighting Director: @1muratozdemir1
Director of Video: @phadeevs
Digital Tech: @milofynn
Digital Artist: @cosmicpixels_nyc
Set Designer: @stocktonhall @ateliermgmt
Custom Props: Paul Romano at R&M Manufacturing Inc.
Photographer’s Assistants: @michelewihelminaphotography & @polymathicwallace
Grip: @gspepe
Groomer: @msruthiemakeup @asm_mgmt @piccassobrush_official.us @oribe
1st Stylist’s Assistant: @lu3alo @sheismaia_agency
Fashion Team: @s.tephaniewenger @madisonwengu
Marketing Director: @biljana.cvijetinovic
Shot at @un_nyc
Very Special Thanks to Stephen Fertelmes, Kyla Chalmers, and Jack Deutsch @jillfritzopr
Special Thanks to Jason and everyone at Untitled NYC
Gravity Backdrops by Mimi Stojanovic @gravitybackdrops
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
